Lime Bundt Cake

1.6.10

It has been a really nice, long weekend, one where I can’t even remember what I did at the beginning. That’s how I know it’s been especially good. We didn’t have really anything specific planned for our Memorial Day weekend, just hoped to get some yard work done, enjoy the outdoors, and try to relax. Oh, and make this lime bundt cake.

I finally gave in and bought a bundt pan this week. I’ve wanted one for a long time but every time I picked one up at the store, I always came up with an excuse not to buy it. Then on impulse, while I was killing time before a dentist appointment next door, I bought one. And I spent the next three days deciding what recipe I would break it in with.

I finally settled on a recipe I’d bookmarked from Tasty Kitchen. It called out to me, and boy, am I glad I listened. However, I admit that I planned to make a few changes from the original recipe. For one, even though it is a pound cake I thought the amount of fat and sugar the recipe called for was absurd. So I reduced both. Also, I decided to skip the lime-sugar bath that you’re supposed to drench the cake in when it comes out of the oven- what was intended to give the cake its lime flavor- and instead added lime zest and juice directly into the batter. I was bit nervous about my changes, but I needn’t have been.

The final cake was wonderful. It was dense and slightly tangy thanks to the cream cheese. The lime flavor wasn’t obvious, but it was there and it was good. The cake also wasn’t overly sweet and I really liked that about it. And it didn’t need to be since it was covered in the most delicious cream cheese frosting.

The cake was a scrumptious success and the perfect beginning to my relationship with my new bundt pan. The entire weekend was a success, actually. We finished the garden, hiked a mountain, slept in three days in a row, and ate cake. What more could you ask for?

In the bowl of an electric mixture, beat together the butter and cream cheese until combined. Add the sugar and cream until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each. Add the vanilla, lime zest, and lime juice and mix to combine. Add the flour and mix until smooth and creamy.

Pour the batter into the bundt pan and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for about 5 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, cream together the butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, lime zest, and lime juice. Mix until smooth. Add more powdered sugar or lime juice, if desired, to get the consistency you want (I wanted mine to be more like a glaze so I kept it on the thin side and poured it over the cake while it was still a bit warm). Frost cake and serve.

Bundt pans are fabulous, a great purchase. This recipe ( your version) is very similar to a cake that I made up last year and just loved but I never wrote down the recipe. You have reminded me of how much I loved it and I think I will give your version a go. Thanks! Pics are beautiful as well!

I don't usually bake but I enjoy it a lot when I do. I tried your bundt cake recipe yesterday but unfortunately it didn't turn out exactly right. The result was very dense but not cake-y, it actually looked undercooked although it wasn't. I noticed other bundt cake recipes include baking powder – perhaps something to do with that? Also, the recipe says to "add sugar and cream" but I believe this is a typo because there is no cream in your recipe. Anyway, any suggestions that you may have to improve my results would be much appreciated!

This is actually a pound cake recipe and should be fairly dense. Baking powder isn't needed (or desired) for a recipe like this. However, it should appear to be fully cooked and be "cake-y". It is a cake after all. Perhaps more baking time is needed? I might also suggest beating or "creaming" the butter, cream cheese, and sugar more. Beat them together on medium high for several minutes. This important because it incorporates air into the batter, creating a lighter texture in the finished product.

I realize the recipe directions were misleading with my use of the verb "cream". There is no cream included in this recipe. Sorry for the confusion!

Thanks for your quick reply! I'll try your suggestion of beating the butter, etc. for longer next time. The taste of the cake was still delicious, the problem was just the texture. You have a great blog, by the way, everything looks fantastic and I'll be trying more recipes!

Made your cake today. I was worried it wouldn’t be moist, but it was fine. I cooked it exactly for and hour and 15 minutes. I used key limes. I only added a little over 2 tablespoons of zest to the cake. I added 1/2 tsp of salt, and 1/2 tsp of baking powder (sifted in with the flour). Not sure I love the icing, but I’m not sure I don’t like it either. It the consistency I’m not sure about, but it has a great flavor. Thank you for posting.

And I know what you said about the baking powder, but I really thought it needed a touch. It really worked. I make am amazing blueberry pound cake that has no baking powder in it.. yet I felt compelled here.. go figure.